Glorying in the Cross: Hope and Transformation

Now you, many of you, are very religious and you have embossed upon your Bibles a cross or you wear a cross around your neck. And the thing that I want to ask you tonight is this. What does the cross mean to you? Why do all the Catholic churches and all the Protestant churches have a cross? That's the one thing we agree on is the cross. The whole Christian world looks to the cross. Why did Paul say that he gloried in it more than anything else in all the world? [00:01:39] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


Paul could have gloried in his education. He was one of the most educated men of his time. He could have gloried in his religion. He was very religious. He could have gloried in his ability to speak several languages. He was fluent in several. He could have gloried in the fact that he was a Christian. He could have gloried in the fact that he was a Roman citizen. But he didn't. Or he could have gloried in certain things about Jesus Christ other than the cross. His spectacular, miraculous birth. Born of a virgin, the Virgin Mary. [00:02:16] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


Because you see, only in Jesus Christ can we find forgiveness of sins. He was bearing our sins on the cross. People ask me constantly as they write, is there any hope? Is there any hope for me? Can Christ save me? Prostitutes, alcoholics, robbers, murderers, prisoners, people filled with racial prejudice, people who hold in their hearts anti-Semitism, is there any hope for me? People who have done many evil things, both corporately and privately, is there any hope for me? [00:05:10] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


Paul gloried in the cross because it is the only way of salvation. Nothing else will save. The cross is the only way. There is a way. The Bible says, oh, there are other ways of salvation. So we're taught by many teachers that seemeth right. But the end thereof is the way of death. There's only one way, by the cross. And that's one reason why people don't like to talk about the cross or the exclusiveness of salvation. [00:07:37] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


He doesn't ask us to live the Christian life alone. I cannot live the Christian life. I'll be honest with you. I cannot do it. But Christ can live it through me if I will let Him. And He can produce the fruit of the Spirit. He can give me a love and a joy and a peace that I'll never find anywhere in this world. He can give me the certainty of my eternal life. [00:10:37] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


There comes a point there comes a moment sometime somewhere when you must receive christ into your heart paul gloried in the cross because it expresses the depth of sin because it shows the love of god because it's the only way of salvation and fourthly because he knew that it gave a new dynamic to life once you've been to the cross you can never be the same therefore if any of you have been to the cross you can never be the same Any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things have become new, the Scripture says. You'll never be the same once you come to Christ. [00:11:51] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


I remember the night I came to Christ. I stood with about 300 or 400 other people, made my commitment to Christ, and while I was standing there, I felt like a fool. I started turning around and go back. A woman next to me was weeping, and I didn't have any tears. I had no emotion at all, except fear. Afraid to abstain. [00:12:29] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


do you know Christ it's a motivation for service what motivates you to go out and help the hungry and the poor and the oppressed my son spends his time a great deal of his time in the third world helping the poor and the needy going to little dispensaries and little hospitals and sending doctors to help them and he was out on one of those boats in the China Sea helping pick up those refugees a couple years ago what motivates him why does he go to some place in Africa go all through New Guinea go through India or Bangladesh or some of these places to try to help because he loves Christ it's Christ that motivates you what motivates you or do you have any motivation at all to help others [00:14:41] (54 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


The cross in all languages means come to the cross, find salvation. Come to the cross and find peace. Come to the cross and find forgiveness. Come is the invitation of the whole Bible. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest. Come to the cross. I'm asking you tonight to come to the cross. You say, well, what do I have to do? Three things. Christ has paid the price on the cross. He's been raised from the dead. [00:19:04] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


How do you receive it? First, by repenting of sin. That means to turn to the Lord. That's the good news. First, to change your thinking, to change your mind, to change your attitude, and to change your way of living. Let Christ come and be in control of your life. That's repentance. Saying to God, I have sinned and I'm sorry for it. Forgive me. That's repentance. But then you must by faith receive him, and that word faith may trip you up. [00:20:06] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


Faith means that you totally commit to Christ, just as I'm standing on this platform. And my body is committed to this platform. So you stand with your whole life and everything you have, you put on Christ. Your hope is in him and him alone. He becomes the one that you trust totally and completely for your salvation. [00:20:35] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


There was a minister preaching on the thief on the cross once, and some man yelled from the congregation and said, what about that thief on the cross? And quick as a flash, the minister said, which thief? Because you see, one died and was lost, and one died and was saved. And that's the only story of deathbed repentance in the whole Bible. So you better not wait. The Bible says today is the day of salvation. Now is the accepted time. [00:21:41] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)